General Music Chat

Well I just got mine, between SS and Income Tax, Im down $94 a week! Great $4,888 less a year. Dont guess I will be getting a new guitar or amp this year.

I guess Im venting a bit, I have a second job that I work in the fall and thought it would continue into the new year, but because of market things totally out of anyones control, I got let go, and Im not sure if they will be able to pay me this coming fall!

Welcome to the New World Order!

Hell I may have to do some gigs just for the money.

well I get paid today, haven't looked at the stub yet,

Let's be honest about it though.

The bush tax cuts were extended for all of us making under $400k, which is a good thing.

The SS tax went up because it was always today's rate, but we were given a 2% SS tax cut two years ago by obama/congress, which also expired at the end of 2012, and was not part of the 'fiscal cliff' package (never was part of the bush cuts). So it expired.

Sucks, I know, but it's really nobody's fault, they gave us a two year / two percent break, and it ended.

Marsha got some of her benefits cut.
I think the state stopped helping her with Medicare.

Mine is about the same.

Im just venting a little bit Kramer thats all.

But, it all adds up.

Just 4 more years to get my divorce behind me financially and I will be better!

Yeah got mine today and the SS is higher, take home lower. Time to pay the piper.

The reason your checks are less is because OUR politicians were so busy fighting over the fiscal cliff and vacationing THEY FORGOT to extend the SSI 2% I won't name names because some of you guys get pissed when I do. I am trying to keep my post here positive but its getting hard to do that!

Well I just got mine, between SS and Income Tax, Im down $94 a week! Great $4,888 less a year. Dont guess I will be getting a new guitar or amp this year.

Ah!
Then count your blessings for surly you have surly been numbered amongst the wealthy by this regime.

The reason your checks are less is because OUR politicians were so busy fighting over the fiscal cliff and vacationing THEY FORGOT to extend the SSI 2%

Jeff,

They did not FORGET. The blacked robed turncoat, justice john roberts, gave this regime permission to tax the American people for whatever they want and when ever they desire to do so. And they are beginning to do just that

This traitor violated both the constitution and his office by acting as legislator as well as judge. Before this bastard of justice ruled unlawfully, only congress had the right to raise taxes. And that was not so easily accomplished.

Welcome one and all to the Neo America cherished by the boma-zoms.

The tax rate did not go up, the SSI deduction returned to its normal rate, as mentioned by Kramer. Can you not read?

Easy Jimmy, it's easy to provoke people remember?

You make some interesting points, just don't do it such that they cause people to bleed after you do..

(the talking horse)

The reason your checks are less is because OUR politicians were so busy fighting over the fiscal cliff and vacationing THEY FORGOT to extend the SSI 2% I won't name names because some of you guys get pissed when I do. I am trying to keep my post here positive but its getting hard to do that!

Bump.

The tax rate did not go up, the SSI deduction returned to its normal rate, as mentioned by Kramer. Can you not read?

No comprehension as usual. I said they didn't forget, bamzee. I just added what is coming. But as far as the SS deduction, they could have let it stand as it was. But then a brain dead lib couldn't comprehend that.

Why is it that you brain dead morons act like any increases can't be held back? If you have the power to raise taxes, you have the power to leave them as they are or raise them.

well ok I checked my stub..

Pay went down about $35 (two-week pay period).

So..

I've never been that vocal about SS, mostly because I've never been able to do anything about it, and it seems ever more likely that eventually some politician is going to succeed in privatizing it, whether we like it or not.

Imagine that tax going up another percent or two for "administrative or handling fees".

Personally, I feel that money I put into it is mine, and upon my retirement, should be allowed to cash out the full value of what I put into it, with interest.

I still don't see the fallacy in what happened this week with it.. they gave us temporary relief, and it ended. It's really that simple. I said- I don't like it. I wish they would have acknowledged that people still need that relief, but hell, part of me is glad that they aren't looking to make up that lost 2% by jacking it up an extra 2% for the next two years.

The whole system sucks, and nobody is happy, but it is what it is. You might as well blame the last 15 presidents as much as the current one as far as I can tell. Blame the next 3 also.

well ok I checked my stub..

Pay went down about $35 (two-week pay period).

So..

I've never been that vocal about SS, mostly because I've never been able to do anything about it, and it seems ever more likely that eventually some politician is going to succeed in privatizing it, whether we like it or not.

Imagine that tax going up another percent or two for "administrative or handling fees".

Personally, I feel that money I put into it is mine, and upon my retirement, should be allowed to cash out the full value of what I put into it, with interest.

I still don't see the fallacy in what happened this week with it.. they gave us temporary relief, and it ended. It's really that simple. I said- I don't like it. I wish they would have acknowledged that people still need that relief, but hell, part of me is glad that they aren't looking to make up that lost 2% by jacking it up an extra 2% for the next two years.

The whole system sucks, and nobody is happy, but it is what it is. You might as well blame the last 15 presidents as much as the current one as far as I can tell. Blame the next 3 also.

I wouldn't count on that money Kramer. The president just raised taxes on the folks that make over 400K a year but did NOTHING to curb spending or help put off the end of SS or medicare! Basically he ran the limit out on 1 credit card and now wants another to run the limit on. With not a CARE in the world about YOUR, OUR kids that are going to have to pay them off and suffer the consequences!

so, bringing in more money is one thing. Cutting spending is another.

Why did they have to be done at the same time? I personally think it's best to deal with both issues separately. I'm all for cutting spending. Here's where I'd cut:

Pentagon, does not need $1 Tirl. Operate on 250Bil, job is to defend our country, not operate bases in 135 other countries. Bring all troops home and let those dirtbags elsewhere kill each other instead of using us for target practice. Take all those left over troops and guard our borders instead. Overhaul the immigration dept and make them do their jobs. Also no more H1B's. None. No more immigration whatsoever until unemployment is under 5%

End all corporate subsidies, big oil and pharma.. pay your own way. Hundreds of billions saved.

End all tax havens- Verizon, GM, Exxon, etc.. pay your damn taxes. Hell, Verizon got a REFUND in 2012. WTF? Hundreds of billions saved.

Cut Synfuel funding. That damn industry has been given $2.5bil a year since the late 80's for doing absolutely nothing. Might as well give me $2.5 bil a year to turn tin into gold. Ain't gonna happen. $2.5 billion annually saved.

End government funded research on animals. Testing effects of cigarettes on dogs? Testing orangutans for boners? c'mon.. Billions Saved.

No new pork! the annual bills that pay for education, transportation, etc.. stop funing pet projects through them.. hell even the fiscal cliff bill had funding in it for some fishery in alaska.. wtf? Trillions saved.

raise fines into the hundreds of millions for corporate lawbreaking. It makes no sense that a chemical company can dump toxic waste into a local stream and be fined only $25,000 when it would have cost them $400,000 to properly dispose of it. Just good business, right? Give the EPA the power and ability to fine companies based on cleanup costs, and to ensure it's far more costly to break the law. Start actual prosecutions of persons in corps who approve the law breaking. Billions earned.

Rebuild the SEC, fro the ground up. Give them the power to levy realistic fines against banksters and fraud. Force them to open investigations and follow through. Also TAX derivative trading- $trillions per year in trades that are completely untaxed. Hundreds of billions, if not 1 or 2 trillion saved.

Those things alone would completely turn our deficit into paydown in a matter of years. Charge companies a tarriff for each job offshored, enough that would make it more expensive than hiring a union guy from the USA, and then you have your jobs and middle class back.

It's simple.